Will season be viewed as disappointment even if LSU wins out?

SEC Country reporter Alex Hickey will answer your LSU Tigers sports queries each weekday in our LSU Question of the Day. Join
the conversation by sending your questions via Twitter to @SECCountryLSU, @bigahickey or by email to Alex at alex.hickey@coxinc.com.

LSU Question of the Day: Tuesday, Nov. 7

Welcome to the second edition of our LSU Mailbag Question of the Day. Since this is your feature, dear readers, we ask that
you pay close attention to everything written in italics up there and ask us whatever it is that you’d like to know.

We got off to a pretty rousing start Monday when asked if Devin White should be considered the frontrunner to wear No. 18
for the Tigers in 2018.
Click here to find out the answer.

Our second question comes courtesy of Ryan Micklin on Twitter:

If LSU wins out against Arky, Tennessee, and Texas A&amp;M, will the season still be viewed as a disappointment?

Anyone holding LSU to a higher standard of expectation than 9-3 in Ed Orgeron’s first full season in charge of the program
was never being particularly realistic. Ever since the end of last season, I’ve been saying this is a 9-3 team, and it certainly
looks like that’s exactly how it will play out.

The defense replaced an absurd amount of talent. Safety Jamal Adams and cornerback Tre’Davious White are among the best rookies
in the NFL right now. Linebackers Duke Riley and Kendell Beckwith have both played significant time for the Atlanta Falcons
and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively. Defensive lineman Davon Godchaux has started five games for the Miami Dolphins.

On offense, it took the Tigers a bit of time to deal with the losses of Ethan Pocic, Josh Boutte and Maea Teuhema on the offensive
line. Embattled offensive line coach Jeff Grimes deserves a lot of credit for how that group has come together after its early-season
struggles.

Obviously, no one expected a shocking loss to Troy or a pounding at the hands of Mississippi State. But games that looked
like probable losses when the schedule came out (Auburn and Florida) turned into wins.

LSU is stabilizing and has a chance to move back onto an upward trajectory next season. The Tigers would likely get invited
to the Outback Bowl or TaxSlayer (nee: Gator) Bowl by winning out. Beating a Big Ten or ACC team in one of those games would
end the season on a very positive note.

A bowl win would get LSU to 10 wins for the first time since 2013. And winning out would assure the Tigers of their first
6-2 finish in the SEC since 2012. That’s progress.

Sure, it’s frustrating going a sixth consecutive season without beating Alabama. But on the whole, LSU is right where we expected
in 2017.